How should Liberal perfectionists justify the state?

Liberal institutions should respect citizens as autonomous agents. But what does this mandate require and how should it shape the demands of liberal legitimacy? I trace the contemporary disagreement between liberal perfectionist and anti-perfectionist accounts of legitimacy back to this requirement to respect the autonomy of citizens in order to weigh up how well each approach fulfils this mandate. I argue that further reflection over the nature of respect for the value of personal autonomy gives liberals reason to favour moderate forms of perfectionism and be sceptical of criticisms of perfectionism grounded in concerns over respect

The problem of paternal motives

In this article I assess the ability of motivational accounts of paternalism to respond to a particular challenge: can its proponents adequately explain the source of the distinctive form of disrespect that animates this view? In particular I examine the recent argument put forward by Jonathan Quong that we can explain the presumptive wrong of paternalism by relying on a Rawlsian account of moral status. I challenge the plausibility of Quong's argument, claiming that although this approach can provide a clear response to the explanatory challenge, it is only successful in doing so when it relies on the strength of its rival: the argument from personal autonomy. In doing so I illustrate that such responses are conceptually dependent on an account of respect for persons, and thus much of the relevant controversy is actually disagreement over how we respect other individuals

Lies matter

Normative legal philosophy primarily concerns itself with the task of understanding which weighty reasons should guide our legal institutions. In order to make sense of these reasons, we must pursue a certain amount of conceptual analysis. Concepts allow us to make sense of our reasons. This is as true in law as it is elsewhere in the normative landscape. At a time when politicians on both sides of the Atlantic are challenging the role of epistemic authorities and factual claims in democratic decision-making (through reference to ‘alternative facts’, ‘fake news’, and other objectionable propositions), the analysis of the legal status of false and misleading claims is extremely important. By clarifying the status of truth and falsity in civil discourse, philosophers can make a real and significant contribution to the upkeep of the norms of civil society. The stakes of such discussion are high

Mass Casualty Incident Response and Aeromedical Evacuation in Antarctica

Antarctica is one of the most remote regions on Earth. Mass casualty incident (MCI) responses in Antarctica are prone to complications from multiple environmental and operational challenges. This review of the current status of MCI risks and response strategies for Antarctica focuses on aeromedical evacuation, a critical component of many possible MCI scenarios. Extreme cold and weather, a lack of medical resources and a multitude of disparate international bases all exert unique demands on MCI response planning. Increasing cruise ship traffic is also escalating the risk of MCI occurrence. To be successful, MCI response must be well coordinated and undertaken by trained rescuers, especially in the setting of Antarctica. Helicopter rescue or aeromedical evacuation of victims to off-continent facilities may be necessary. Currently, military forces have the greatest capacity for mass air evacuation. Specific risks that are likely to occur include structure collapses, vehicle incapacitations, vehicle crashes and fires. All of these events pose concomitant risks of hypothermia among both victims and rescuers. Antarctica’s unique environment requires flexible yet robust MCI response planning among the many entities in operation on the continent

Paperless Food Assistance: The Impact of Electronic Benefits on Program Participation

Food Stamp Program, Electronic Benefits, Program Participation, Food Security and Poverty, Health Economics and Policy, I38, C23, C25,

The choice architect’s trilemma

Critics have long dismissed paternalistic choice architecture as conceptually muddled at best and oxymoronic at worst. In this article, I argue that this criticism remains true despite recent replies to the contrary. Further, I suggest that a similar conceptual criticism also applies to non-paternalistic choice architecture. This is due to a three-way tension between the effectiveness, avoidability, and distinctiveness of each nudge. To illustrate this tension, I provide a novel explanation of the mechanics of nudging and a taxonomy of these interventions. I then argue that choice architects who defend the distinctiveness of nudging according to how it guides our behaviour via our unreflective intuitive reasoning encounter a trilemma because the distinctiveness of nudging hinges on interventions being both avoidable and effective. Choice architects cannot achieve this aim without harnessing both our automatic and reflective systems of thought in tandem. However, this diminishes the distinctive character of nudging by bringing it closer to other traditional policy interventions. This establishes the choice architect’s trilemma: a nudge is likely to be either ineffective, effective via some morally unacceptable means, or effective in a manner that is conceptually indistinct from other evidence-based policy interventions

Laptop Education: Impact on Learning and Achievement

The purpose of this study was to examine how 1:1 Laptop initiatives in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grade affected student achievement and student academic performance over the 2008–2009 school year at a selected small rural, Minnesota high school. The two variables in this study were: perceived student performance skills based on survey results from both student and teacher participants, and pre-existing Minnesota graduation testing results and grade point averages from Fertile-Beltrami School District students. The three questions that were researched in this study were: (1) What effects does a 1:1 Laptop initiative have on student academic performance based on perceptions of participating sophomores, juniors, and seniors? (2) What effects does a 1:1 Laptop initiative have on student academic performance based on perceptions of participating faculty? (3) What effect does the 1:1 Laptop initiative for students in grades 10th, 11th, and 12th in the Fertile-Beltrami School District have on student achievement based on Minnesota graduation testing and local assessments in math and reading? The research was conducted in a small, rural setting with students in grades 10–12. The study population consisted of 105 students that attend the small, rural school during the 2008–2009 school year. A survey instrument created by the Mitchell Institute was used by the school district to collect data on student perceptions of the impact of 1:1 computing on academic achievement and learning, as well as student engagement in school. A survey instrument created by the Mitchell Institute was also used to collect data on faculty perceptions on the impact of 1:1 computing on student achievement and learning, as well as faculty\u27s integration of technology. Evidence from this study indicates that the integration of 1:1 computing positively impacts student engagement in learning and student achievement. Evidence from this study further indicates that the amount of impact is directly related to the amount of integration by faculty. Students and faculty indicate that skills and engagement is improved through the use of 1:1 computing

Proposed IFR Air Ambulance Coverage for Middle and East Tennessee

Rural areas do not receive the same emergency medical services as metropolitan and suburban areas due to their remote locations. In the event of a life-threatening medical emergency, citizens in rural areas cannot be transported to a level-one trauma center within the critical Golden Hour. The Golden Hour is the hour during which the mortality rate can be reduced by 50% if a patient can reach a trauma center. The inability of helicopter EMS operations to fly in poor weather lessens a patient’s chances for surviving a medical emergency. Helicopter air ambulance operations enable hospitals to provide comparable service to rural locations. Low cloud cover and reduced visibility often prevent or hamper air ambulance service to rural areas. This thesis attempts to determine how and where to locate non-precision GPS instrument approach procedures in Middle and East Tennessee so that the area could be served by instrument-certified EMS air ambulance operators during instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The objective of the thesis is to systematically survey the Middle and East Tennessee area in order to identify proposed locations for GPS approaches to provide 95% EMS coverage. Appropriate maps and statistics are provided to document this survey. Alternatives on how to implement EMS instrument approaches are: (1) Allow continued haphazard commercial development. (2) Wait on the FAA to develop the infrastructure. (3) Press for early development of a publicly-funded integrated system of instrument approaches. iv The author recommends the development of a publicly funded, integrated system of instrument approaches as an experimental test project in the Middle and East Tennessee area and provides a roadmap for the steps required to implement this project. The concept of an integrated system of publicly funded instrument approach procedures is expounded. This system involves instrument approach procedures (IAPs) either based on a particular hospital helipad or on an existing airport approach which is within three nautical miles of a medical center. Such a system would involve the development of 33 instrument approach procedures located at the approximate locations specified in Figure 2.4 page 43. Additional emerging free-flight technology could, and should, be included in this proposed instrument approach system